Respect

I have been reading Track ‘Em Tigers pretty much from its breakaway from SBNation, and I can honestly say that it’s been an absolute blast. It’s refreshing to see the comments being almost exclusively from folks who are genuinely infected with the Auburn Spirit. I respect the various opinions expressed even when they’re different from mine, and I like it that taunting, inflammatory remarks designed to hurt and degrade are generally not present.

As for background, my wife and I are both 1966 AU graduates. She’s a Birmingham native, but I long ago convinced her of the glories of my native Georgia, and we have lived in Atlanta since 1968. We have a second home on West Point Lake (hence, wpleagle) bought in part for ease in getting to Auburn for home games. After 19 years, though, we gave up our season tickets (her health and desire to have more time with grandchildren).

I titled this post “respect” because I have become increasingly concerned recently about what I believe is a lack of respect engendered for some of our athletes and opposing teams and coaches by name calling (thUGA, turds, leg humpers, whiners) in certain posts. With very, very few exceptions (Bobby Petrino, Carl Pelini), I believe our SEC opponents have high quality, ethical coaches and should be treated respectfully. I feel the same way about our team’s players, especially in 2013 where to a great extent the current coaching staff is dealing with players inherited from another regime. I think our guys give it everything they’ve got, and it’s not their fault that they’re not all perfectly built for their position with 4.2 speed and 135 IQ’s.

Just my thoughts, for what they’re worth.

5 Comments

……I think there’s some residual bitterness over the way Auburn was treated by the national media and many fans of other schools after the Cam Newton scandal broke, and was played to death. Two wrongs don’t make a right, though.

I think you make a good point as well. I tend to name call against the Alabama fans who would fight you over their opinions, but could probably not find Tuscaloosa with a map. However, truth be known, if you could figure out how to quantify the statistic, there are probably a similar number of Auburn fans (or FSU / Florida, or UGA / Tech, etc.).

Our family is pretty involved with girls high school sports. I think your point becomes even more relevant in this arena, were the coaches are certainly not there for the money, and (unfortunately in our situation) the players are not there for the promise of a scholarship. We have had too many coaching controversies in our area this year, and some of the fallout has gotten fairly disgusting.

Thanks for a well thought out and well written post. We were at Auburn at the same time, since I graduated from Vet School in ’67. I have lived in my home town of Baton Rouge, LA since graduation and would love nothing more than to live in Auburn. Family obligaions have said otherwise. I’ve not had much chance to go back to Auburn but since retirement, I’ve come back four times this year and loved every minute of it! I had a difficult time leaving Jordan-Hare Saturday night after THE MIRACLE. If The Good Lord’s willing, I plan to come back many times in the future. I fully agree with your assesment of the players. No one is percect, especially not young men of 18 to 21+ years. The individual criticism really makes me upset. They are all AUBURN TIGERS and they are playing their hearts out for Auburn and for us. And, everyone knows:

I think I’m safe when I say that these conversations are just among ourselves. I doubt any of us are running around in public having the same types of conversations. At least in my case, when I refer to an Updyke, or a Leg Humper, I’m referring to the opposition fan base that does run around in public doing such things, and quite often worse things (Example:http://now.msn.com/brian-downing-alabama-fan-starts-prison-sentence-for-teabagging-unconscious-lsu-fan) . That is to say, I’m just referring to the worst of the worst of the fan base, not opposing players or coaches.

It does get a little aggravating to read posts from our own folks that run down some our own players and coaches, but that’s everyone’s right to do so.

Excellent points wpeagle. The best part of being an Auburn man or woman is the class that was foisted upon us while we were in school; whether we liked it or not. From the first impromptu pep rally led be Dean Foy my freshman year in 1974, until today, I pride myself on being a rabid, but respectful fan. There is not a better feeling than to be complimented by opposing fans on how we comport ourselves on game day. Of course, this rarely comes from another SEC fan, but they’re just jealous. As a former Navy pilot, and now airline pilot, I am blessed to be able to live in Auburn (and Navarre, FL) year round and absorb the spirit every time I walk out my front door. Now lets go kick some Bama bee-hind!!!

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